(authornotes)

Thanks for your support, guys. And the fluff continues here! ... along with a little 'distinction'... and lime...

(/authornotes)

.....

I dream of our first kiss, and then

I feel upon my lips again

A taste of honey, a taste of honey

Tasting much sweeter than wine...

.....

"Thank you, Shion-san, for clearing things up with us," Officer Ooishi said. "Although we just caught a call saying somebody else, a known heroin addict from Okinomiya, confessed to killing Satoshi's aunt. Oh, and nice to meet you, by the way."

Shion shook hands with Ooishi and left the room. Upon reaching the lobby, she was abruptly pulled by the hand behind a pillar.

"Eh?" Shion looked up at her apparent captor. "Satoshi... kun? They already question you, you could have gone home..."

'Satoshi-kun stayed just to talk with me?' Shion wondered. 'No, that's too unrealistic, that would only happen in a dream.'

"Don't look now," Satoshi murmured, "But there's some people outside waiting for you. I'm fairly certain they're with the Sonozaki family."

"That much is obvious," Shion murmured. "Satoshi-kun, you didn't need to wait here just to tell me that, you could've gone home and gone to bed..."

"Just... be careful," Satoshi whispered, pulling Shion into a hug.

"Don't worry," said Shion, enjoying the embrace, "They're my family. What could they do to me?"

"I don't know... but I've heard some rather ominous things from Mion."

"I'll be fine, Satoshi-kun. I promise. What could happen?"

'If Satoshi-kun worries, then I can't let whatever happens bug me... he already has to deal with Satoko, right?' Shion thought, walking towards the men waiting for her.

'Love give me strength.'

...

"Grandmother is furious," Mion said in a monotone voice while dragging Shion by the wrist towards the ritual dungeons of the Sonozaki family. "I don't think I can protect you anymore, Shion."

And Sonozaki Oryou was indeed furious.

"What did you think was going through your head?" The old woman yelled. "How dare you shame us like this!"

"What is this about, demon hag?" Shion snapped.

"You know very well what this is about, you disrespectful upstart! This is about your lies!"

'It's because of Satoshi-kun, a voice said in the back of Shion's head. They think you stayed at Angel Morte, until late at night with Satoshi, like your alibi... and they don't like it.'

Shion glared. "This is about Satoshi-kun, isn't it? You don't want me to be with him, is that it, you demon hag?"

"Shion," Mion whispered in her nearly expressionless voice. "Stop now. You'll only make them angrier--"

"Whatever Mion is trying to tell you," Oryou said in a dangerous voice, "Your actions have shamed the entire Sonozaki fam--"

"The Sonozaki family!" Shion laughed. "I could care less about the Sonozaki family! What you say I can and cannot do... does not affect me in any way! I don't care if you disagree in our relationship, because... I Sonozaki Shion, am in love with Houjo Satoshi! That's right, I love him! More than anything! More than the world! And I'm going to stay together with him, and there's nothing any of your can do about it!"

Mion put her hand on Shion's shoulder. "Shion, you really should sto--"

"You ungrateful teenaged whore!" Oryou all but screamed. "You're lucky even to be alive! You know very well what would have happened to you at birth if your mother hadn't pleaded so much!"

"And? I'm alive now!" Shion laughed hysterically. "So much for the Sonozaki's unyielding discipline! Ha! What's your problem, anyway? Satoshi-kun didn't do anything to anger the Sonozaki except being born a Houjo!"

"Shion..." Mion said darkly, gripping Shion's shoulder tightly, "How many people have helped you since your started this deception?"

Shion frowned. "Deception... you mean when I left the boarding school?"

"Yes. We have Kasai and our uncle Yoshiro in there," Mion's monotone informed her. "In the inner chamber."

"The inner..." Shion gasped. The inner chamber was where prisoners were kept, where most of the torture took place. "But we don't use that place anymore... right?" Shion said nervously. "You're not going to hurt them, are you?"

Mion's next statement answered this question. "If you don't repent, 'sinless' Satoshi will join them."

Fear flooded Shion's heart. "Satoshi-kun... will..."

"Apologize."

'No! Don't hurt him! I'll do anything!'

Shion sank to her knees and bent over in a bowing gesture. "I'm so... sorry... Forgive me, Grandmother! Forgive me!"

"Are you willing to make up for your sins?" Mion asked, her voice continuing to betray no sign of emotion.

"Yes," Shion whispered. "I'll repent."

'For Satoshi-kun, I will make it look like I'm sorry to these people who do not care.'

Mion nodded at an underling to the Sonozaki family sitting in a corner, who brought out a strange device and put it on the table. From the sound it made, it was heavy and made of metal.

Shion was forced up by he older sister and brought in front of the thing. It had a lever of some kind on one side, with leather straps on the other. Shion didn't know what it was, but she had an uneasy feeling her stomache that told her she was soon to find out.

"This is an eighteenth-century European device," was Mion's cold explanation, "For ripping out fingernails. Do you know how to use it?"

"No! Why would I know how to use a thing like that?"

"Don't worry, we'll teach you. You're going to remove three of your fingernails."

"... What?"

"For your three mistakes."

"Three mistakes..." Shion murmured. 'I get it. One fingernail for Kasai, one for Yoshiro-ojisan, and one for Satoshi-kun... with this, I can save all of them.' "Show me how."

Shion's arm was forced through the straps on the device, the buckles tightened so she couldn't move the arm. The nail on her little finger was put between two tabs, which were tightened.

"Press the lever, Shion, but do it quickly and with force or your nail won't come out all the way."

Shion nodded, gulping. When did Mion learn these things?

Slowly, Shion brought up her fist. All to quickly, she pounded down on the lever.

Shion's middle fingernail came out cleanly, but the pain that suddenly hit her was excruciating, like nothing she'd ever experienced before.

"This... really hurts!" Shion gasped. "This... this'll save them, right? You won't hurt them?"

"Have you had enough?" Mion asked, walking towards the door of the inner chamber.

"No... I'll... I'll finish!" Shion cried, putting the nail on her ring finger between the tabs.

Just the thought of doing this to herself again, let alone two more times, made Shion feel sick. But I have to... Shion licked her lips in self-preparation.

There was a strange taste there, something foreign. What could it...

'Satoshi-kun's kiss!' Shion realized. 'That taste... is... Satoshi-kun's... for Satoshi-kun, I'll do this.'

"Any day now, Shion," Mion yawned. "Press the lever."

"Right..." Shion said distractedly, and she gulped and brought her fist down hard on the lever once more.

But not hard enough.

"It's not all the way off," Oryou said. "You'll have to do it over."

The intense pain ripped at Shion again, and she dared to look over at the nail on her ring finger, which was only half torn off.

Shion doubled over, feeling sick to her stomach. "I...."

She rinserted the nail into the tab, but when she raised her hand she found she couldn't move it downwards, like every part of her body rejected the things Shion was trying to do to herself.

"I... I can't..." She whispered. "I can't!"

Mion turned her head and nodded to three of the Sonozaki underlings standing against the wall.

A bag was shoved over Shion's head and her arms grabbed from behind.

"Wait-- what are you-- No!"

She was held in front of the contraption, and one of the underlings forced her free arm up, the one Shion would use to pull the lever.

"No! Don't make me do this!" Shion cried. "No! No! No!"

Her first was shoved forcefully down onto the lever by the man grabbing her arm, pulling her fingernail off the rest of the way.

Shion screamed. Tears leaked down her face and fell into her open mouth, made the rough fabric of the bag on her face stick to her skin.

'How will this help Satoshi-kun?' She thought. 'This is just something to hurt me personally! They've always hated me, shoved me away, locked me up in the attic or in the boarding schools... deep down, this family hates me, except for... no. Mion hates me too, she's the one who told me to do this after all. I am despised by the Sonozaki family for being born, just like Satoshi-kun.'

Shion's middle finger was shifted between the tabs, and Shion realized that there was still one more fingernail to be be ripped out.

The underling swung Shion's arm up again.

"No! No! Don't- don't! No!"

The downward push, the ominous clicking noise, the pain worse than ever before, the tears, the scream, and Shion lost conciousness.

...

When Shion woke up, she was alone in her apartment in Okinomiya. A wave of nausea hit her and she ran to the bathroom to throw up.

There were bandages on Shion's fingers, and the place her nails would usually be ached terribly. She held her hand up and smiled.

'Satoshi-kun is safe now...'

...

Shion ran down the road, a cloth-wrapped package under her arm.

'I hope he's still home,' she thought, coming to stop in front of a house. Still out of breath, she approached the door and cautiously knocked.

The door slammed open to reveal a very ugly, very unhappy, middle-aged blond man in a hawaiian shirt. "Waddayouwant?" He asked, glaring.

"Is... has Satoshi-kun left for school yet?" Shion asked, trying to sound polite. 'That must be the uncle. Shouldn't he be a little more... down that his wife died?'

Houjo Teppei sneered, then turned around and yelled into the house. "Satoshi! Some bitch with green hair is here to see you!"

A few thudding noises were heard, and Satoshi appeared out of the hallway. He was still in his pajamas.

"... Shion?" He said sleepily. "Why are you here so early?" A hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Did you miss me that badly? It's only been a day or so since I last saw you..."

Shion flushed and hid the cloth-wrapped box behind her. "Has Satoshi-kun... made lunch yet?"

Satoshi shook his head. "No, I just got up... why?"

Teppei rolled his eyes and moved away from the doorway, muttering something rude about teenagers, then disappeared into another part of the house.

Shion watched him go, then returned to the subject. "I... made an extra lunch today."

She held the cloth-wrapped box, which was a lunchbox, in front of her nervously. "Do you want it?"

"Yes," Satoshi said quickly, and he all but ran to take the lunchbox from her. "Thank y-- Shion?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to your hand?" He gestured at the bandaged on Shion's left hand worriedly.

Shion's eyes widened. "I... tripped," she lied. "I landed funny on my fingers... a couple nails came off."

Satoshi frowned. "Be more careful next time..."

Slowly, he took Shion's hand and laced the bandaged fingers between his. Bringing the hand up, he gently brushed his lips over her fingertips.

Shion froze. The blood went to her head. Something in her chest fluttered.

"Get... get better soon, okay?" Satoshi muttered, blushing.

"I'll have to now," Shion murmured, giving Satoshi's hand a squeeze. "If Satoshi-kun wants me to get better soon, I will."

"Wait!" A third voice broke through the bashful atmosphere. "Nii Nii said Mion wasn't his girlfriend!"

"I'm not Mion," Shion said for the second time that week. "I'm her younger twin sister, Sonozaki Shion."

Satoko stared at Shion. "No you're not. You're Mion with a different hairstyle."

Satoshi sighed. "This is Shion, I can tell the difference."

"Which is?" Satoko asked, still unbelieving.

"Shion is the one who does things for me," Satoshi replied. "Also, her tone of voice is different."

"Why did Satoko think my sister was your girlfriend?" Shion wondered.

"Let's see, the blushing faces when Nii Nii wasn't looking, the shoulder massages, the putting Nii Nii first..."

"Those were all Shion," Satoshi supplied.

Satoko grinned. "So Shion-san is Nii Nii's girlfriend, that's why he said it wasn't Mion!"

Satoshi flushed instantly. "Satoko! I never said Shion was--"

"I wouldn't mind if I was," Shion mumbled.

"... Oh," Satoshi said. "Well, I wouldn't mind either... if..."

Satoko made a gagging face and left the room. 'Good riddance,' Shion thought. 'She only puts extra pressure on Satoshi-kun. Even if her current teasing only helped me.'

"... If you don't mind, that is," Satoshi said quietly.

Shion smiled. "I already said I don't mind."

Satoshi leaned forward and kissed Shion on the cheek. "Wait ten minutes, I'll walk to school with you."

"About that... I go to school in Okinomiya," Shion sighed. "I should get going soon."

Satoshi blinked. "You came all this way to bring me a lunchbox?"

"It was worth it, wasn't it?" Shion giggled nervously. "I got a kiss from Satoshi-kun."

'Actually, the thought that Satoshi-kun would even want to kiss me is amazing,' she thought. 'I'm so lucky...'

"Well, if that's why you did it..." Satoshi wrapped his arm that wasn't holding the lunchbox around Shion's waist. "I don't think I've done enough."

"Sa... Satoshi-kun..." Shion closed her eyes and leaned towards Satoshi. "You've already done too much for me."

Shion felt Satoshi's breath grow closer, felt her heart rate increase--

"Satoshi!" Teppei yelled, sticking his head into the room. "Stop making out with your bitch of a girlfriend and make breakfast!"

"Y-yes, Uncle! Sorry, Shion."

"It's okay," Shion said. "I'll catch you in Okinomiya after your work, okay?"

"Right." Satoshi brushed his lips over Shion's and let go of her. "Thanks for the lunch."

Teppei glared. "Satoshi, you bastard! What the hell did I just tell you? Make me my damned breakfast!"

"Sorry, uncle."

Shion waved goodbye and started walking back to Okinomiya.

"I'm going to be late on my first day at a new school... well, I don't mind," Shion said to herself. "The consequences so far haven't been so bad..."

She ran her tongue over her lips. "Satoshi-kun's taste is back."

'Isn't he moving awfully fast with you?' Asked a voice in the back of Shion's head. 'Maybe he's just taking advantage of us.'

Shion smiled. "Even if that's all it is, I don't mind. Any reason for Satoshi-kun to kiss me of his own free will is a good reason." She giggled and licked her lips again.

'You're just a little creepy,' the voice decided.

.............

Three days went by. Shion would bring Satoshi a lunchbox in the morning (much to the annoyance of his uncle), then meet him after his part-time job in the afternoon to get it back. Sometimes they carried on a conversation, sometimes they just stood there holding hands. Shion was in a state of pure, unadulterated joy.

On the fourth day, Satoshi entered the Cafe Angel Morte wearing a large backpack.

"Satoshi-kun!" Shion gasped. 'Umm... table for one, right?"

'See? He doesn't love us,' said the voice in the back of Shion's head. 'He's just a pervert. Why else would he be here?'

"Mion said I could find you here," Satoshi said. "We need to talk."

Shion nodded. "I get off in about five minutes. What happened to you?"

There were bruises on Satoshi's face and he had walked with a limp. "My uncle," he said tiredly. "I'd rather not talk about it. I'll wait by the employee's entrance."

The next five minutes dragged on unbearably for Shion. As soon as her shift ended, she bolted out the door without changing.

"What did Satoshi-kun need to talk about?"

"Two things," Satoshi said slowly, "One..." He took a deep breath. "I think I might be in love with you, or at least I like you a whole lot."

'Satoshi-kun likes me back!' Shion's heart jumped, sang, bounced up and down to further aggravate the butterflies in her stomach. She ran over to wrap her arms around Satoshi, who returned the embrace.

"And-- the second thing?"

"My uncle got angry with me and decided that I was no longer welcome at his house," Satoshi said quietly, his gaze drooping to the ground. "I have no place to stay, so I'm going to take the money that would have bought Satoko's birthday present and leave town..."

His face held an attempt at a smile, but Satoshi sounded heartbroken. "I'll write you, okay?"

'Satoshi-kun only cares about his Satoko,' the voice told Shion. 'He isn't that sad to be leaving us, he's just sad that he can't get that stupid teddy bear for his stupid sister. No matter, though... this is probably the last time you'll ever get to see him.'

"You don't have to leave!" Shion gasped, squeezing Satoshi tightly. Her eyes were wet. "Can't you just stay with someone else?"

"I'm the son of the Houjo traitors," Satoshi reminded her. "The only person old enough to own a house who'd possibly support me is Coach Irie, and he lives in a small room at the clinic."

"No one?" Shion asked, her voice breaking. "No one cares enough about Satoshi-kun to let him stay near his sister?"

"And no one cares enough about Satoko to let me stay and protect her," Satoshi spat. "There is no one for us Houjo in that village."

"But you have to stay!" Shion wailed. "Because there are things Satoshi-kun wants to do here! To get that bear for Satoko! To see Satoko every day! To go to school with his friends, to play baseball with the Hinamizawa fighters! And because... because I want Satoshi-kun to stay! There's really nowhere you can go?"

"I'd have to find someone in the area who didn't despise my family and had enough space," Satoshi murmured. "There's no one who cares enough. I'll write you once I find a place, all right?" He gave her a peck on the cheek, patted her on the head, and sighed. "I should go."

"... I care," Shion mumbled, slowly realizing something. "I live in a small apartment by myself... There's a spare room, it's small, but Satoshi could sleep there..."

"You'd let me stay with you?" Satoshi wondered. "Wouldn't your parents--"

"They have no say over who stays in an apartment I pay for myself," Shion said quietly. "I promise I won't take advantage of your situation or anything, so please... don't leave."

Satoshi bit his lip. "I don't really want to intrude, but... is it really okay? I can stay with you?"

"Of course!" Shion smiled the widest she ever had in her life. "Of course it's okay! Why would I mind lending the guest room to a boy I'm in love with?"

Satoshi blushed. "Living together and I've only officially known you for six days..."

"You don't have to think of it that way!" Shion said quickly, feeling the heat her face rise. "I'm not asking Satoshi-kun to-- to do the things couples who live together do!"

"Of course you're not," Satoshi said, laughing awkwardly. "Why would you be?"

Shion nodded. "Right... I should probably show you where my apartment is, then..."

"You might want to change out of your work uniform first," Satoshi suggested with a chuckle.

Shion was still wearing her Cafe Angel Morte work outfit.

"...Oh!" She laughed awkwardly. "Good idea!"

.........

"Here we are," Shion said nervously, pulling her key out of her pocket and unlocking her apartment door. "Home sweet home..."

She opened the door and showed Satoshi inside.

"I really can't thank you enough," Satoshi said quietly.

"Satoshi-kun is perfectly welcome," Shion mumbled in reply. "I mean... I'm only asking out of selfishness..."

"You mean selflessness?" Satoshi questioned. "Because that's what this is."

"No, selfishness," Shion repeated. "I just didn't want Satoshi-kun to disappear... and..." she blushed. "The idea of seeing Satoshi-kun at breakfast, and when I come home after work, and, and having dinner with him, and saying 'good morning' every morning and 'good night' every night... i-isn't exactly my idea of a bad situation..."

"... Oh," Satoshi said. "W-well, if you're going to show me this sort of kindness it's the least I can do..."

"I sounded really creepy just then, didn't I," Shion mumbled, looking away.

"N... No!" Satoshi said quickly. "You just... really like me! That's all!"

"No, I really, really love you!"

"I love you too!"

Both teenagers stood there, looking away from each other, red in the face, unable to find anything else to say.

Eventually, Satoshi broke the silence. "Muu... Shion?"

"Yes, Satoshi-kun?"

"Where should I put my stuff?" He asked, jabbing his thumb backwards at his backpack. "My shoulders are starting to get sore..."

"...Oh! Right this way!" Shion led Satoshi to the guest room, which had once been a walk-in closet.

"This is the guest room... well technically, it's a closet that we shoved a bed into," Shion laughed. "On the downside, it's connected to my room instead of the hall... so you might want to knock before leaving if you have the door closed."

"R-right," Satoshi said, relinquishing his backpack to the floor beside the guest room bed. "Shion..."

"Yes?" Shion asked quickly. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, just..." Satoshi smiled nervously. "Thank you so much." He reached over and squeezed Shion's hand.

Shion blushed for the umpteenth time that day, and squeezed back.

They stood there for a few seconds, holding hands, enjoying the moment.

"...I should make dinner soon," Shion mumbled. "D'you want anything...?"

"Anything is fine," Satoshi said, smiling. "I guess I am a little hungry."

His stomach grumbled. "Muu... maybe more than a little hungry."

"I'd better cook fast before that noise wakes up the neighbors," Shion teased, poking Satoshi in the stomach with her free hand.

"Muu... it's not that loud, is it?" Satoshi worried. "I wouldn't want to disturb..."

"Satoshi-kun, I was joking."

"... Oh."

...

Shion went to the kitchen and started preparing the ingredients for fried rice. Satoshi was unpacking his bag in Shion's closet-- er, the guest room-- so Shion was alone with her thoughts.

'Satoshi-kun is staying in my house. He's staying here for an unspecified amount of time. Together with Satoshi-kun...'

'He's just taking advantage of you,' Chided the voice in Shion's head. 'He just wants to be there for his sister...'

'He said he loves me,' Shion thought back. Her heart beat just a little faster. 'Satoshi-kun says he loves me...'

'He's lying,' the voice snapped back. 'And you're lying to yourself by saying he isn't. You know what that makes you? Desperate. Clingy. Delusional--'

"SHUT UP!" Shion yelled, cracking an egg in her hand.

"I'm sorry!" came a muffled gasp from Satoshi three rooms away. "I'll stop!"

"No, not you!" Shion yelled back quickly. "I meant... ummm... er... I was just talking to myself!"

"Oh, okay," Satoshi laughed, his voice growing closer, "Because I was singing Beatles songs to myself and I was afraid you didn't like the Beatles."

"Don't be silly," Shion giggled, "Everyone likes The Beatles. They're The Beatles."

"My uncle doesn't," Satoshi said quietly.

"Oh," Shion said. "... Did he yell 'shut up' when you sang?"

"He yelled 'shut up' when I said much of anything," Satoshi sighed. "I feel bad for saying this, but I'm actually thrilled to be out of that house that he lives in. Even if I can't protect Satoko as well living here."

"There will be no protecting of any kind inside this house," Shion said sharply. "Satoshi-kun can relax here. If anything, I, Sonozaki Shion, will protect Satoshi-kun."

"Shion..." Satoshi chuckled. "What is there in this house that I would need protecting from?"

"Monsters in the closet?" Shion giggled.

The blond boy smirked. "Should've told me about that sooner if I'm sleeping in your closet."

"No, the monster is in the hall closet," Shion said quickly, cracking a smile.

Satoshi laughed. "I'll keep out of the hall closet, then. ... Would you like help with dinner?"

"Ummm... could you start the rice cooker?" Shion asked. "If it's not too much trouble..."

"It's perfectly fine!" Satoshi said, all but diving for the rice cooker. "Oh, it's already filled... do I just press the 'start' button then?"

"That's the idea," Shion giggled.

Satoshi pressed the button, and Shion started chopping up vegetables.

"Do you want any help with..."

"Satoshi-kun is my guest," Shion replied. "Sit tight. I can chop greens my... self..."

Shion's eyes began to water. She sniffed.

"Shion, are you... crying?" Satoshi got up from the kitchen table. "Was it something I said?"

He ran to her side.

"I'm chopping onions, Satoshi-kun," Shion explained. "When you chop onions your eyes..."

Satoshi let out a breath he had apparently been holding in. "Oh... that's a relief. I thought you maybe cut your fingers with the knife and..."

"Why would I cry over a little thing like that?" Shion sniffed. "It takes much worse to make me cry."

"I believe that," Satoshi said, wrapping his arms around her. "I just... worry..."

"Satoshi-kun is a little paranoid," Shion giggled. "Imagining the worst situation."

"It happens when you grow up in that house," Satoshi sighed. "And, during the dam incident... a crashing noise really was a rock through your window and not a broken plate..."

"Satoshi-kun has lived a hard life," Shion murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Always being hated... always doing everything for everyone else. Satoshi-kun, who is already under stress, being forced to carry his sister on his shoulders... always the selfless one, never getting the chance to be selfish."

"I don't ever have a good opportunity to be selfish. My sister..."

"I know, you need to protect her," Shion sighed. "But... everyone deserves to be a little selfish sometimes. So... Satoshi-kun, you don't need to be polite or helpful when you're here. You can just... be Satoshi-kun."

"So this is my chance to be selfish?" Satoshi asked. "That's awfully kind of you."

"No, I am Satoshi-kun's chance to be selfish."

"Are you now?" Satoshi smiled. "Well, then... selfishly, I'll..."

He turned his head and pressed his lips to Shion's mouth, moving his lips against hers.

Shion took a second to realize what was happening, then kissed him back, getting on her tiptoes to press herself closer. Satoshi held her tighter and kissed her again, harder this time.

And he was all there was. Shion couldn't feel the floor beneath her feet or the breeze coming in through the kitchen window. She felt Satoshi's arms around her, Satoshi's lips melded to hers, and Satoshi's heart beating frantically, almost as frantically as her own. Satoshi's taste on her lips again...

The kiss ended, and Satoshi pulled away. "Now, was that me being selfish or you being selfish?" He whispered.

"Satoshi-kun started it," Shion said quietly.

"I suppose I did."

Satoshi kissed Shion on the cheek and held her for a moment, then let go and went to stop the rice cooker.

.....

"That was delicious," Satoshi announced, having just cleared his plate for the third time.

Shion smiled. "It was just fried rice..."

"It was delicious fried rice," Satoshi replied. "Better than I could make. Although maybe that's not saying much..."

"I wouldn't know," Shion giggled. "Satoshi-kun would have to cook for me for me to find out."

"I suppose... maybe that's not a good idea, though. Satoko usually does the cooking..."

'Satoko again,' the voice in Shion's head snickered. 'See? All he cares about.'

"Satoko must be more capable than I gave her credit for," Shion said slowly.

Satoshi smiled. "Well, she's growing up. Someday, she won't need me anymore."

"I always will," Shion mumbled. "Does that mean I'm not growing up?"

Satoshi shook his head. "No, no! I don't mean that! Satoko needs me in a different way..." He blushed. "So you... need me, you say?"

"I love you," Shion pointed out. "So... yes."

"Well, if that's the case... I need you too," Satoshi said.

They sat there, smiling at each other. Shion realized that this was a little sappy of her, and looked away.

"Would Satoshi-kun... like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

.....

When Shion got out of the shower that night, she peeked in through the open closet-- ah, guest room-- door. Satoshi was asleep, curled up under the green bedspread.

Quietly, Shion tiptoed over to Satoshi's bedside. He looked so peaceful sleeping there, relieved even. Shion supposed that Satoshi probably didn't sleep as well in the house his uncle lived in.

"Beautiful..." Shion murmured. She smiled. "Sleep well."

She leaned over and gave Satoshi a kiss on the cheek...

"I'm not asleep," he murmured, smiling. Satoshi sat up and returned the kiss, hugging her around the shoulders.

"I can see that now." Shion sat on the bed and kissed him again.

Satoshi wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down with him...

"Tell me to stop if I go too far," Satoshi whispered.

"I will..." Shion breathed, kissing him on the cheek.

But the closer Satoshi held her, and the harder Satoshi kissed her, the more of Satoshi she wanted. Shion ended up not telling Satoshi to stop, even when his lips reached places besides Shion's face, or when his hands went for the belt of her bathrobe...

Shion's hair, wet from the shower she had just taken, dried and tangled under the covers.

......

A few hours later found Shion lying awake in the bed in her closet-- err, guest room-- with Satoshi next to her, fast asleep for real this time.

'See? He loves me. He really does,' she told the voice in the back of her head. There was no answer.

'So you're gone now?' Shion asked the voice. Again, no reply.

'Good.'

Shion wrapped her arms around Satoshi's sleeping form and fell asleep.

........

Yours was the kiss that awoke my heart

That lingers still, 'though we're far apart

A taste of honey, a taste of honey

Tasting much sweeter than wine...

.......

(authornotes)

Doo doo n doo... well, chapter 2's a wrap. sorry for taking so long... I had school... and then camp... and I'm about to go to another camp... as soon as this is posted...

mrr I'm not good at limes.

"A Taste of Honey" belongs to The Beatles.

(/authornotes)